I had my last phone (Blackberry!) for nearly 4 years. Last year I switched to a Droid Razr Maxx and I'm still pretty happy but I have to wonder if it can possibly last that long.

Screens get better. Hardware faster and more memory options. I don't have NFC.... And then you run into OS envy when your carrier refuses to offer the latest and greatest. I suppose I could root the thing and force an update. But how stable with it be? And what about those folks who don't have the skills or confidence to do that on their own?

Finally, I hate to be wasteful. I have no desire to trash a perfectly good device until it's perfectly terrible compared to what's out there (see my last phone...).